Coronavirus Crisis Look for help before Council launches system to help job cuts, firms told vulnerable people
WEST Lancashire Borough Council, in conjunction with local health and community partners, has launched a new local support system.
Working with local and national agencies, West Lancs Together aims to help those who have been identified by the NHS as being at risk of severe illness if they contract Covid-19 and have been asked to isolate themselves for at least 12 weeks.
These people will have received a letter or text message from the NHS to notify them that they have been categorised as at risk. This could be due to a number of reasons such as living with cancer or receiving an organ transplant.
A spokesman said: “We understand these extremely vulnerable people may not have a support network to rely on and West Lancs Together will pool together resources to be able to provide support with food, medicines and social contact during this phase of isolation.”
Those identified by the NHS as at risk people can access this practical support either via westlancs.gov.uk/ westlancstogether or by calling the freephone number 0800 616 667 7am to 7pm, seven days a week.
Needs will be prioritised for those who will not be able to rely on family and friends for practical support while they remain at home.
Anyone feeling vulnerable can contact the service so the service can understand their needs and what level of support could be provided.
Anyone available to help those in need in their community or a community providing support, should register on the council website.
THE chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is urging businesses to use available support packages in response to the Covid-19 crisis before looking to make redundancies.
Steve Fogg said: “What initially began as a public health emergency is rapidly becoming an economic emergency and I would urge Lancashire’s businesses to ensure they access those support measures for which they are eligible, especially the Job Retention Scheme.
“I am pleased the government has listened and responded to the growing concerns of businesses who fear they will be unable to continue to pay their employees and are fighting for their longterm survival.
“I hope that the measures announced to today, whereby the government will pay up to 80% of wages, will give some degree of comfort for both businesses and individuals who have been adversely affected as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, providing some economic security.
“There has naturally been a focus on the impact of the social distancing and isolation on
MANY parks and countryside sites all over West Lancashire have closed, with some remaining open with restrictions.
West Lancashire Borough Council has closed three sites so far and erected signs at the remaining open spaces to ensure the government’s social distancing measures are adhered to.
After Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered UK bars and clubs to close on March 20 some members of the public ignored isolation and social distancing restrictions and flocked to rural and coastal areas around the UK.
Scores of people visited Parbold Hill with cars parked on double yellow lines near the lay-by.
There were many visitors to Fairy Glen, nestled on the side of the the retail and hospitality sectors – and rightly so. The restrictions in place will have a more immediate effect on businesses operating within these sectors.
“However we must not forget all of Lancashire’s businesses, irrespective of the sector they are operating in.
“The announcement today will help all businesses as will the extension of the interest free period on the previously announced business interruption loan scheme.
“Small and medium sized businesses are the lifeblood of the Lancashire economy and their long-term sustainability is vital for the economy as a whole and for the livelihoods of our residents.
“The preservation of jobs and businesses is essential if we are going to recover from this crisis. hill above Appley Bridge, and it is one of three sites that closed on Monday March 23 until further notice.
Richmond Park in Burscough and Ruff Wood in Ormskirk have also been closed
Despite the further restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on March 24, which has essentially put the country in lockdown, some people are still determined to go out and enjoy the sunshine to the detriment of others.
Sixteen-year-old Ormskirk Sixth Form College student Otis Saroke has been adhering to government guidelines and went for his daily walk on Tuesday, March 24 when he noticed this.
He said: “I was on my daily walk up Ruff Lane and Vicarage Lane, and I went past Ruff Woods which
“I therefore welcome the introduction of the Job Retention Scheme and urge businesses to access this to minimise job losses.
“The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is working closely with business representatives and leaders to ensure we combine forces and take a unified approach to helping our businesses in these unprecedented times.
“By working together we will ensure government continues to listen and respond and we will do everything within our power to secure the longterm future of our businesses and those who work in them.”
Details of support packages can be found on the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership website which is being updated regularly at lancashirelep. co.uk/covid-19/ is now a restricted area due to social distancing.
“People are ignoring this tape and are still going in the woods. If there is tape there, it is there for a reason. I also saw from afar that someone was running in there.”
The list of spaces still open as of March 25 is: Abbey Lakes, Chequer Lane Fishing Lake, Beacon Country Park and Dean Wood in Up Holland; Station Approach and Coronation Park in Ormskirk; Stanley Coronation Park and Tawd Valley Park in Skelmersdale; Platts Lane Lake in Burscough; Hunter’s Hill in Hilldale and the Cheshire Lines Path.
The borough council is updating its social media on breaking restrictions in public spaces.